Yoga Stretches for the Upper Back

Many people hold stress and tension in their upper backs, leading to tightness and pain. And although playing sports and lifting weights are good for your body, some activities can leave your upper back muscles feeling sore and stiff. Release tension and stretch tight upper back muscles with the ancient practice of yoga. Just a few poses performed when you're feeling particularly tense or after a workout can immediately help you feel better.

Cat Pose

One-half of a pose combo called Cat-Cow, Cat pose is so-named because it mimics the shape of a scared cat's arched back. Rounding your back and pressing your hands into the mat spreads the shoulder blades and stretches all the muscles of the upper back.

Eagle Arms

Full Eagle pose is a balancing posture performed on one leg; but there's no reason you can't do just the top half of the pose, which is a powerful opener for the upper back muscles and an easy pose to do anywhere when you're feeling upper back strain.

Rabbit Pose

One of the 26 postures performed in a Bikram yoga class, Rabbit pose lengthens the spine and stretches the muscles of the back, arms and shoulders.

Jody Braverman is a professional writer and editor based in Atlanta, GA. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maryland, and she is a certified personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and yoga teacher. She has written for various online and print publications, including Livestrong.com, SFGate, Healthfully, and Chron.com. Visit the writer at www.JodyBraverman.com.